Halloween 2019.Best of the rest

‘#squadghouls’ – that was the pun-tastic campaign that B&M went for this Halloween, and it played into the brand’s fun, chilled-out perception perfectly. Splashed across in-store posters, it incorporated a range of seasonal characters, with other snappy taglines such as ‘Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun’ and ‘Straight Outta Coffin’ geared towards keeping it light and breezy.

B&M drove customer engagement on social media by running contests to win a Halloween bundle, with other posts pushing fancy dress for adults, kids and even dogs, reflecting its broad appeal.

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“A sense of humour goes a long way, and while sometimes efforts from big

chains to tickle the funny bone can feel a bit half-hearted, B&M’s Halloween-based puns genuinely raised a chuckle

and helped make the campaign memorable.”

Claire Cooper Creative Director

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In its stores, Card Factory harnessed the Halloween atmosphere with a colour scheme of orange, but with enough subtlety so as not to be overpowering. The same hue and flowing typeface were used in social media posts to draw attention to its seasonal range.

On its website banner, the brand used deep purple and classic Halloween imagery such as bats, spiders and haunted houses, guiding customers towards its ‘Spooktastic Party Supplies’.

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There was plenty of purple across Claire’s digital activity over Halloween, and the chain used its social media reach to promote mother and daughter matching cat costumes, keeping its family values at the forefront.

In stores, there was a dedicated Halloween display, clearly signposted as ‘Buy 3 Get 3 Free’.

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“The mother and daughter costumes, pushed on social media with cute photography, drove home the fun,

family-friendly vibe that we tend to associate with Claire’s. Matching clothes are an Instagram magnet, so these encouraged customers to

generate their own content and tag the brand in their posts.”

Sarah Perry Creative Director

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IN-STORE POS

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There was a stripped-back feel to Clintons’ Halloween campaign, which centred around simple, black signage and contrasting white lettering in its stores, with cartoon-style characters adding a slightly playful edge.

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Flying Tiger made Halloween the central feature of its storefront display, which incorporated a range of themed products based around traditional Halloween items, such as pumpkins and spiders.

On its website, the brand used snappy taglines and a sharp, simple layout to highlight its seasonal selection, gently encouraging customers to browse by clicking the ‘Have a look’ button. It was a campaign that embodied Flying Tiger’s subtle Scandi persona.

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In its stores, Greggs capitalised on the spooky season with an array of Halloween treats, with subtle signage that included gothic lettering and themed graphics. Shop windows teased customers with the ‘Dare To Go Spicy’ header, which advertised its limited edition spicy chicken and pepperoni bake.

There were more seasonal treats pushed on the brand’s website, while its social media channels took a typically light-hearted approach to the season, posting a picture of a witch in one of its branches.

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The colour scheme of orange and dark purple was prevalent across Home Bargains’ stores and its website, where a dedicated section had all their customers’ Halloween needs covered.

Social media posts were generally used to highlight discounts on everything from sweets to motion sensor spooky butlers, although the chain did incorporate cocktail recipes too, adding value for the customer while subtly promoting the ingredients.

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The ‘Things Are Not As They Seem’ campaign for Halloween was seen across Hotel Chocolat’s platforms, whether it was through storefront vinyls or the banner on its website, complete with a link to its seasonal collection.

This had a dedicated web page and was advertised on social media, where a gory picture of its white chocolate ‘eyeballs’ was sure to get followers in the spooky spirit.

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“The ‘Things Are Not As They Seem’ slogan embodied Hotel Chocolat’s nuanced, thoughtful approach to

Halloween compared to the ‘in-your-face’ campaigns that are more typical

of the event.”

James Cannell Chief Creative Officer

John Lewis arranged its Halloween collection into a host of neat displays, all highlighted with the kind of refined signage that we’ve come to expect from the store, with a simple dark background and sharp lettering.

Online, the new range was advertised through its website and particularly through its social media platforms, with the brand’s elegant imagery often complemented by a relaxed, playful post.

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KFC’s social media team played up to the Halloween theme with a ‘trick or treat’ picture of a burger, and although it wasn’t available in restaurants, it did reinforce the chain’s playful tone.

One thing that definitely was on the menu were the brand’s Daredevil Bites – these were pushed heavily on its website and through in-store posters, with the dark red colour scheme and bold typeface playing into both the Halloween season and KFC’s own aesthetic.

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Next took a simple approach to the season – simply wishing customers a ‘Happy Halloween’ on an orange background with a few spooky characters thrown in for good measure, which was standardised both in-store and online.

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“A sharp, attention-grabbing display just outside Next was cleverly

positioned to engage passers-by, while proving disruptive to customers on

their way into the store.”

Claire Roshanzamir Strategy & Creative Director

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Peacocks took the decision to concentrate on value with its ‘Halloween For Less’ campaign, with costumes from just £10 and an exclusive online offer of 50% off.

In-store displays were neatly arranged, with the deep purple colour scheme maintained in clear signage.

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‘Haunted Hallows’ was a sharp and simple tagline for The Range’s Halloween campaign, with plenty of gothic imagery on its website and in-store posters.

Social media channels were used not only to convey specific pieces from its collection, but also to push pumpkin carving guides and engage with customers by asking them to let them know what they were dressing as depending on their birth month.

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“I enjoyed The Range’s social media content in the weeks building up

to Halloween, as it balanced sharp product advertisements with posts

that focused on engaging customers with the brand.”

Chris Perks Managing Director of Digital Services

www.itg.co.uk

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No need to overcomplicate things – TK Maxx kept its Halloween campaign smart and simple, whether that was with in-store posters or its web pages. The bright orange colour scheme helped to convey the theme to customers, and dedicated displays in its branches were easy to spot.

IN-STORE POS

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Cobwebs and colourful skulls in the window heralded the arrival of Halloween in Whittard’s store, which stood out compared to more standard seasonal imagery.

Its social media channels took the opportunity to push a variety of themed beverages, elegantly captured in photographs alongside pumpkins. The collaboration with Jane’s Patisserie also gave the brand a chance to promote recipe ideas, finding various uses for its hot chocolate collection.

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“Halloween skulls are nothing new but the illustrated Mexican Calavera-style skull vinyls did a

great job of bringing the theme to life, as well as linking beautifully to

Whittard’s product packaging.”

Jo Wilby Creative Director

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Wilko stuck to the classic Halloween formula in its stores – the campaign was headlined ‘A Fright To Remember’, with gothic lettering, an orange and purple colour scheme and a pumpkin. Displays were neatly arranged and prices clearly labelled.

On social media, the brand promoted its blog to give customers seasonal arts and crafts ideas, as well as linking to the themed collection on its website.

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Halloween 2019.Thank you

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*Information and images within this report are gathered from ITG research, third party resources and materials available in the public domain.